Operating mechanism for clam-shell buckets.



PATENTBD APR. 24

F. B. HULBTT.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GLAM SHELL BUCKBTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 25. 1904' 4 sHEBTs-sHBET 1- INVENTOR WITNESSES PA-TENTED APR. 24

F. E. HULETT. v OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GLAM SHELL BUGKBTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25. 1904.

4 SHEETSSHEET Z [NVENTOR JW 6. W

Aflomey No. 818,626. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

F. E. HULBTT. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GLAM SHELL BUUKETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 lT/VESXES INVENTOR Alamey PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

P. E. HULETT. OPERATING MBCHANISMPOR GLAM SHELL BUGKBTS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG-25. 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

', Unrrn sings PATENT ensues.

FRANK E. HULETT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WELLMAN- SEAVER-MORGAN COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

OPEFlATlNG MECHANISM FOR CLAN-SHELL BUCKETS' Specification of Letters Patent.

:atentecl April 24, 1906.

Application filed Augu t 25, 1904. Serial No. 222,170.

ating mechanism for clam-shell buckets, the

object of the invention being to provide improved trolley construction and mounting whereby the operators cab is carried by the trolley and the entire closing, elevatin and other movements of the bucket is entire y undeg the control of the operator in the trolleyca a A further objectis to provide improved means for closing, elevating, and moving the bucket.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation, illustrating m improvements. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fi 4 is an end view. Fi 5 is a top view of the operators cab, and i s. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views of the oisting and holding cables and their drums.

This mechanism has been designed with a view of reducin parts necessary or operating buckets, (clamshell also to enable the operator, who controls the various motions, to be located on the moving'carriage, commonly called the trolley, without the necessity of carrying the heavy hoisting machinery on this carriage. It is enerally conceded that the operator should be located on this carriage, as it is a position from which he is better able to observe all the operations of the machine. It is considered quite a disadvantage, however, to put all the hoisting-motors on this carriage, as it involves increasing the weight of the carriage to such an extent that the entire weight and cost of the bridge. or structure Fig. 2 is a side view of t e trolley..

the number of cables andcarrying the trolley is greatly increased.

This new arrangement also makes the hoisting and cross travel of the mechanism inde-' pendent of each other, so that the bucket may be hoisted and the trolley traversed simultaneously. Another feature is the equalizing of the hoist'ropes at the bucket, so that if a bucket is tipped over sidewise or lengthwise the strain on the hoist-cable is always the same.

This mechanism is intended to be used on Gantry cranes and overhead conveyors, &c., which are most commonly used along the lakes for unloading coal, iron ore, limestone,

sand, &c., from vessels, and also at blast-furnace plants for stocking and rehandling the material used in the manufacture of pig-iron.

1 represents a' conveyer-bridge of any approved form, mounted at one end on the ma chinery-tower 2, which carries a motor or engine and a winding-drum, and at its opposite end the bridge is mounted on the tower 3, which towers move on suitable trackways. The bridge 1 and the boom or apron 4, which forms an extension of the bridge, are provided with a track 5, on which the trolley 6 travels, and a track 8 is also provided at any convenient point on the brid e for the travel of the sheave-carrier 7. Int 1e presentinstance I have shown track 5at the bottom of the brid e near its transverse center, and the track 8, on which the sheave-carrier 7 travels, is disposed in a plane above track 5; but these arrangements are not necessary and the location and positions of these tracks may be changed at pleasure.

From the hoistin -drum in the macliiiierytower 2 runs the mist line or cable 9, as clearly shown in Figs. land 6. This cable 9 passes over sheaves 10 and around sheave 11 in sheave-carrier 7 and from thence back to a point 12 near the forward end of the brid e, where it is secured. Instead of securing t e end of this hoist-cable to the point 12 the end of the cable or line may pass around a sheave at the point 12 and then back and secured to the sheave-carrier 7, as shown in Fig. 6, or the cable may be carried up over sheaves 10 and its ends secured to the sheave-carrier 7,

actuate, a hoist-cable 13. One end'of'this.

cable 13 is secured to the power-wheel-ofthe automatic clam-shell bucket 15 and passes from thence over and preferably once or twice around sheave 16 in the trolley 6 .and

over a sheave 17 at therear end of the bridge,

I ment of cable the sheave on the carrier 7 engages aloop portion of the cable 13. Hence by moving the sheave-carrier forwardl the portion of the cable. dependin below the trolley 6 will be shortened and t e bucket elevated, while a reverse movement of the sheave-carrier lengthens such depending porsheaves or spools 20, ca

ropes and the tions' and lowers t e bucket.

With the mechanism thus far described the bucket 15 can be lowered and hoisted. In

,Secured to these drums ,or sheaves are the holding-cables 22. These cables are connected at their lower ends to the bucket 15 for simply holding the same when the movable members or scoops of the bucket are released by the hoisting-cable. I or spools 20, to which the holding-cables 22 are secured and around which they wind, are connected to the sheaves or spools 16 and 19, around which the hoisting-cable is wound, (a sufficient number of times to causefriction sufficient for imparting motion to the cableholding spools by clutches (not shown) under the control of the operator, and the 'ng the holdingcables 22, are provided wit brakes 23 under the 'controlof the operator in the cage or trolley.

In 0 eration the bucket 15 is closed and hoi'ste on the hoisting-cables 13. As soon as it is closed, however, before hoisting itis necessary to start the machinery in motion,

which hoists up the hold-ropes 22 to prevent accumulation of slack in these ropes. When the bucket is hoisted and conveyed and ready to dump, it is necessary to setbrakes 23'on the spools or drums carrying .the hold-cables 22 and slack off on the hoist-cables. This throws the wei ht of the bucket on the holducket opens by gravity. In this arrangement the hold-c ables 22 are Wound in and unwound from s ools 20, running loose on the same shafts as the hoist-spools 16 and '19 on the trolley. They are actuated by a suitable clutch thrown by the operator.

This clutch connects the hold-rope spools and v hoist-rope spools together, and they turn in *the same direction with the same speed, due

to the friction of the hoist-cables aroundthe The sheaves trolley, an electric motor in the cage 7 erases connected by with one set 0 track-wheels of the trolley is a motor-28 for impartin travel to the trol ley, suit'able prakes 29 being provided, as

shown, for stopping and locking the trolley hoist-spools. Located on the trolley 6 and tgear-wheels 24, 25, 26,- and27 I at an point ofits travel. The trolley is provide with a cage 30 for them erator,i.and this cage has installed'therein t e necessary control er for the motorand the levers for actuating the clutches on the hold sheaves or spools and the necessary levels for the brakes of the track wheels and hold sheaves or spools. As the operator in the cage controls all the movements of the trolley,it 1s of course essential that the motor in the tower 2 which actuated the hoist-cable 13 be also under-his control, and this can be accomplished by trolley-wires running through the'bridge and electric pick-ups attached to the carriage and connected to a controller located in the operators cage on the trolley.

A great many, slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the arts described without departing from myinvention, and hence I would have it under stood that I do not restrict myself to-the precise detail set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as'fairly-fall within the spirit and scope of m invention.

Having lly described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1 ters Patent, is' t 1. In an operating mechanism for clamshell buckets, the combination with a bridge,

a track thereon and a. trolley mounted to run 7 on said track, of an operator's cage on said adapted to Cpropel the trolley on the trac hoisting an holding drums oi'spools on :the trolley, cables on said drums or spools, pulleys at the ends of the bridge over which the cables are passed, an auxiliary carriage on thevbridge, sheaves thereon over which the hoisting-cable asses between its ends, means for movin 'sai auxiliary carriage, and a clam she bucket secured on the ends of said cables.

2. In a hoisting and conveyin apparatus,

the combination with a bridge, 0 a bucket, a

tioned hoist-cable, a drumfor actuating the;

second hoist-cable a motor in the operators cage and gearing connecting said motor and the track-wheels of the trolley.

3, In a hoisting'and conveyin apparatus,- the combination with a bridge 0 a bucket, a

trolley, an operators cage on the trolley, a hoist-cable connected at its ends to the closmg mechanism of the bucket and passing drums and also to the bucket and brakes for 10 around and over drums or sheaves on the I said holding-drums.

trolley and around sheaves on the bridge, a i In testimony whereof I have signed this second cable can fin a sheave engaging a specification in the presence of two subscrib looped section of said first-mentioned hoisting Witnesses.

cable, a drum for actuating the second hoist- I FRANK E. HULETT. cable, a pair of holding drums or spools actui Witnesses: ated by the movements of the hoisting drums O. W. Comsroon,

or spools, cables connected to said holding- I HOWARD C. TOBEY. 

